A Big Shiny Blue Marble Ch. 22

"Narreth," Yuan said, "Will he like me this way? I felt Beyl'eth's worry that she was not enough for him if I looked as he first saw me. It is one of the reasons that I took this shape." She sighed, "I have not had many friends and lovers, and so I do not know how I look to others much. I know that my human form could rouse Billy, uh, ... Ayt'han. I have heard my friend's words as she tried to reassure me. If you can tell me tru-"

"You are fine," she said, "fine and lovely as you were before. You show that you began as Wotroth ,and it is allowed to show ones beginnings. And you show that you are Rohn now. Such honor I feel. Do not fret now. You will need a little confidence when Ayt'han comes to you to claim you as you ask him your question."

Yuan looked at Narreth, "My question?"

"Yes," the ghost laughed. "Whatever you are, you are a female, as I was once. You gave your body to him so that you might enjoy each other. I knew of your hope. What a wonderful thing to have found a male like him and be loved in that way while neither one could understand the other.

Now, even though you had a hand in the planning of this between you all, you need to know, since what she does now changes it a little. There is nothing wrong in a female wishing to know if the male she is to share loves her. Each of you need to know this privately in your hearts, no matter what is said between all three. That is the way of it, Yuan. We females need to know. Have the confidence to ask it of him.

And before you fret too much, hear this -- he has claimed her. He comes soon to claim you, You wished for love with him. I tell you now that you can have it, what you asked your goddess for."

They came upon the hapless animal and Yuan saw why Narreth wanted her to live so badly. She felt that way herself after only a moment. She spoke her calming words and when the eyelids drooped a

little, Yuan bent to pick up the creature and she carried her as quickly and carefully as she could, still needing Narreth's hand on her to guide her. Narreth stared and remarked on Yuan's strength.

"I am also a Wot-, ... Wot- Whatever you said."

"Wotroth," Narreth smiled.

Yuan nodded, "I always have the strength which my mother gave to me."

She worked long into the night over the animal, with Narreth helping or sensing as she could. The other hurts were easy, but broken ribs, and not just cracked ones, she thought. She saw the way that the tips of a couple of them were pressing against the creature's lungs so that more than a shallow breath was agony.

They talked as they worked, and Yuan slowly got used to the way that Nerreth would seem to fade in and out of sight. She explained the reason for her to have come to this part of the world and Narreth agreed that something was incorrect -- especially when she mentioned the way that the other demons who had been in the group where Bayl'eth had found herself had behaved.

Yuan looked over suddenly, "Her spirit fails her, and we cannot bring her out of this yet. I do not know what to do, but something must happen soon or she passes."

Narreth looked on, her brow knitted in concern. "I have a thought," she said at last. "It will likely not work as we are two different sorts of things and I am not from this place. She may still die," she said, and after a second, she added a quiet afterthought, "or I fade forever."

What is it?" Yuan asked, but Narreth already had her hands on the beast's head and her face wore a look of concentration which soon passed into a rather blank expression. Yuan did note an increase in the drive to live in the animal and so she kept on in silence until she was done.

When all that remained was to move the animal to a place where she could rest and recover, she wondered how to get the ghost's attention for a little while, and receiving no reply to her repeated questions, Yuan gently placed her hand over the ghost's shoulder and laid it down, expecting the hand to pass through. They'd had enough trouble getting Narreth's hand to remain on her arm as they had walked to where the animal was.

But she had found Narreth to be at least a little solid and that was when Narreth fell backwards and a very surprised Yuan caught her. Narreth blinked and asked what had happened.

After hearing it and thinking about it to herself, she shrugged, "I took some of her spirit and gave some of mine for a time. But at the end, I could do nothing."

Are you alright?" Yuan asked and it caused Narreth to laugh for a moment, "I am dead, Yuan. I think that it is as alright as I can ever be. But still, something is different, only a little. I may have left part of me behind, but I only used such a small part. It matters little, Yuan.

Yuan?"

She looked at the girl who would be a Rohn, and still looked a little like a dragon female, and found her standing there in shock. Yuan looked back finally and stared at Narreth for a moment, and seeing that nothing had changed, she still said nothing, but only pointed at the animal.

There on the table in the kitchen where they'd spent the last four hours at least, the creature still lay on her side, but she was awake now and looking straight ahead at Nerreth, blinking occasionally. That was the issue to Yuan and why she'd been amazed into silence.

The eyes which looked back, blinking occasionally were the eyes of a snow ghost, the eyeballs black, and the irises a very light gray. Nerreth blinked back for a moment and asked, but Yuan said that her eyes hadn't changed. When they looked again, they heard the soft slap of a large tail as it hit the table in a low rhythm.

The wild dog rolled upright then, obviously happier now and Narreth stepped forward, not knowing about these creatures and their habits.

A large pink tongue came out of her mouth in a blur and Narreth laughed and sputtered, but she held still to receive her new friend's thanks. "Not only me," she laughed as she tried to defend herself, "Yuan did the most!"

But it did no good, and bought her little respite. The beast got to its feet and looked at Yuan who looked back in amazement. "I can hear her!" she said, "She asks for help to get down."

It took a bit, but between them, they eased the big girl down onto the floor. In an instant, she was on her hind legs, her front paws on Nerreth, and telling of her thanks again with her tongue as Yuan looked on. "Do you know that she leans on you and she does not pass through or fall down?"

Narreth was astounded, and then she touched the shoulders in front of her. Half a second later, she was hugging the animal and sobbing a little.

"What has happened here?" Yuan asked, and Narreth shrugged, "Something passed - more than what I thought," she smiled, "I can feel her. Touch me, Yuan."

When she felt Yuan's hand on her shoulder, Narreth laughed again and looked into the happy gray eyes in front of her, "If you will bear it, I name you Tanra, for you are a gift to me."

Well 'Tanra' was as thrilled as Narreth over everything, especially the way that she felt better, but it brought some things to her attention. With her questioning look, Narreth knew that Tanra had even prioritized the list.

"She asks to be shown where to make water," she laughed, "First and foremost a girl, and then she asks for water which is not frozen hard. After that, she wishes for a little food, and then she aches to sleep. Come, my friend, and we will begin at the first thing."

They walked outside together and Yuan found some meat for the dog. She was surprised when she saw them return.

Narreth was sitting astride the animal and rode her as comfortably as if she were the finest pony. "What are you doing? She only just got off the table." Yuan said, but Narreth only shrugged, "She speaks her thoughts to me. She asked for me to sit on her and when I refused, she walked behind me and came through my legs. I know that she is weak, but Yuan, our girl here is very strong."

"Not my girl," Yuan laughed as she held her hand up, "I barely got any thanks for my part." Her eyes flew open then as she found herself backed against a wall and then there was nowhere to go while Tanra did her best to rectify her earlier oversight.

Yuan tried to push Tanra away, but the big girl was determined, and even when it looked as though she'd finally been satisfied, and she'd begun to turn away, her nose went to one place on Yuan with a great deal of interest.

In that second, Narreth knew that Tanra acted on her own will as she always had, but that she also seemed to act a little in response to her own thoughts quite clearly, since Narreth could hear very lucid thoughts from Tanra as she sniffed and wondered about Yuan. After only a minute, Tanra stepped away to Yuan's great relief.

"If you would humor me a moment," Narreth said, "please come with me."

She led them out onto the ledge and she turned and looked at Yuan, "I am thankful to you for what you have done here," she said indicating Tanra with her hand, "and I am also happy and pleased that you brought Beyl'eth to this place where my son lives. You knew nothing of it, but that matters little, and changes nothing on my heart.

I was also pleased that you helped Beyl'eth as you did on the island. She means much to me and she has always lived in my heart. You carry my hopes and blessings just as she does for what you wish for, but, ... I see more to you than this, and I would know."

Yuan nodded, "I am two inside me," she said, "I am Yuan, and most of all, I am the girl. But there is another."

Yuan stepped away and looked up, making sure that she had the room, and in a second, she stood before Narreth as what else she had been since she was three years old.

"I have seen this as well," Narreth smiled, "You are a person who is beautiful in any way that you might choose to be. But like this you are male," she said in surprise, "Does this side of you not feel the need to breed?"